Vertical Farming Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Hydroponics, Aeroponics, and Aquaponics), By Structure (Building-Based Vertical Farm and Shipping-Container Vertical Farm), By Component (Lighting System, Irrigation & Fertigation System, Climate Control, Sensors, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2023-2030

The vertical farming market size was USD 4.16 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 5.05 billion in 2023 to USD 27.42 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 27.3%. The market growth can be attributed to several factors, such as the growing inclination towards climate control technology requirement of less water and energy for irrigation. This type of farming technique reduces the challenge of arable land. All the above factors are likely to bode the market growth.

In the market study, we have considered vertical farming applications, techniques, and components offered by market players such as Aerofarm's Aeroponics vertical farms, BrightFarms’s Hydroponic indoor farming, and Freight Farms, Inc’s Greener’S shipping container farm. Similarly, Plenty Unlimited Inc. vertical farms and Urban Crop Solutions provide end-to-end hydroponic farming solutions and services such as plat factories, LED lighting, and support services.

Low water usage, enhanced efficiency, food security, and resistance to weather and environmental conservation are expected to increase market growth worldwide. The immense growth of the urban population worldwide elevates the demand for food and vegetables. Hence, the market is experiencing massive investment due to increased demand for advanced agriculture technology.

For instance, in February 2021, McCain Foods Limited invested USD 65 million in GoodLeaf Farms and TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture, Canada’s vertical agriculture operation. The investment aims to drive innovation in Canada’s agri-food sector. The investment helps GoodLeaf establish a network of vertical farms across Canada.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Disputed Supply Chain Hampered Market Growth during Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the world’s economy and impacted various sectors, including food and agriculture. The agriculture sector was impacted drastically owing to supply chain disruption, shortage of food supplies, and suspended import and export across nations. Lack of labor and government-imposed lockdown across countries affected the logistics and harvesting plans across the agriculture sector. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of local food and urban farming, such as indoor and vertical farms. Due to a large population across urban areas, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the urban food system, retail, and distribution. However, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for secure and healthy food. Vertical farms to gain traction amid the pandemic due to increased demand for organically grown foods. 

For instance, in June 2020, Singapore accelerated its plans to deploy rooftop farms to improve food security and increase farming capacity. Most rooftop farms are widely adopted vertical farms such as aquaponics and hydroponics to save space—these active initiatives by the countries to expand the market size in coming years. 

Further, the venture capital investment is increased owing to the increased demand for sustainable and innovative agriculture practices to reduce waste, increase yield and eliminate threats of disease and pests. The increased mergers & acquisitions, funding, and deals in Agriculture technology are expected to boost this market in coming years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of the market was hampered for a short period. However, the market is anticipated to exhibit remarkable growth during the forecast period. 

LATEST TRENDS

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Robotics and Artificial Intelligence to Drive Market towards Higher Growth Trajectory

The integration of robotics and artificial intelligence across vertical farms enables tracking the development of plants from irrigation to harvesting. Robots help to move farms vertically from one place to another. Artificial intelligence-powered tools and applications help manage the temperature, light, and water required for plants.

The vertical farming industry is turning towards robotics and artificial intelligence technologies to improve crop yields, monitor soil conditions, control pests, organize farm data, and improve agriculture-related tasks. Big data analytics, the Internet of Things, robotics, and smart and connected devices provide real-time information to vertical farm producers. The rising technological advancements, including analytics and automation, enable effective management of crop production across farms. Market players are leveraging these technologies to improve production, crop health and

For example, Plenty’s vertical farm in San Francisco leverages IoT, robotics, big data, climate control, LED lighting control systems, and AI technology to produce tasty and healthy food. The company implemented AI-powered robots helps to control temperature, watering, and lighting.

Big data analytics and IoT technology constantly analyze the temperature and climate change across the facility.

For example, Bimantis, an India-based company, established a farming system, The GreenSage, integrated with IoT-powered solutions. The solution helps to monitor and control light, plant growth level, nutrients, and air quality automatically.

Thus, the integration of advanced technologies, including robotics, AI, Analytics, and Internet of Things (IoT), is anticipated to surge the demand for vertical farms in coming years.

DRIVING FACTORS

Declining Arable Land and Growing Water Crisis to Drive Adoption of Vertical Farms

The growing challenges of land availability for food production, as per the growing demand, drive the adoption of vertical farms across the world. The scarcity of arable land has been exacerbated by increasing urbanization, global population, limited water supplies, and ongoing climate change.

The food and agriculture industries are constantly concerned about the growing food demand owing to the declining stock of land resources for agriculture across the globe. Industries are facing massive challenges in feeding this rapidly increasing global population.

Similarly, the world is quickly shifting towards a water crisis. Climate changes will likely worsen water scarcity and affect the food system. Vertical farms offer solutions to the challenges faced due to water scarcity and limited arable land. Through regulated environmental conditions, vertical farming technology enhances the possibility of water being retained. Through evaporation, less water is wasted in the atmosphere, and farmers are under less pressure to constantly source freshwater supplies.

Thus, all these factors force us to adopt major traditional agriculture alternatives. Vertical farms have emerged as a resourceful alternative for growing high-quantity and quality crops. Vertical farms can be used for producing selective food plants while reducing the load from traditional agriculture. Similarly, the system uses controlled transpiration, which is expected to lower water stress.

The vertical farming market analysis also considers the growing water crisis across countries, including Israel, Qatar, India, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and others are likely to increase vertical farms' adoption. The increasing water crisis and declining arable land for traditional practices are anticipated to fuel the demand for vertical farms.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High Cost of Initial Investment to Challenge Market Potential

Space, light, water, carbon dioxide, and land in conventional farming are all readily available. However, all of these variables necessitate a high supply cost for vertical farms. Artificial light is used in vertical farms. The expense of air cooling and heating to maintain the proper temperature, precision monitoring, and other relevant software is also included.

Similarly, specific structures must be erected to distribute nutrients and provide a platform for crop growth. As a result, maintenance and resource supply in vertical farms are quite expensive.

SEGMENTATION

By Type Analysis

Rising Demand for Healthy and Safe Food to Fuel Hydroponics Growth

Based on type, the market is divided into hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics.

Hydroponics is anticipated to showcase remarkable growth owing to increased demand for healthy and safe food. The growing innovations to improve flavors and sustainability of fruits and vegetables drive hydroponics growth. The reduction of water usage and enhanced yield capacity fuel the demand for this type of farming technique.

Aeroponics leverage air and nutrient-dense mist to grow crops. Aeroponics to gain traction due to higher growth rate control over the nutrient and year-round harvests. Aquaponics systems help in plant growth and, similarly, transform the natural environment to boost aquaculture.

By Structure Analysis

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Shipping Container-based Structures to Gain Traction Attributed to their Transportability

Based on structure, the market is bifurcated into a shipping container- and building-based.

The demand for building-based vertical farm structures is growing as new buildings and construction projects across the cities are used to deploy farms. Further, abandoned buildings across cities are widely used to develop vertical farms. For example, Chicago constructed a vertical farm, “The Plant,” in an old pork-packing plant. Similarly, using NASA's Data-based model, Bowery Farming developed urban vertical farms into existing structures, including unused warehouses.

The shipping containers are adopted widely for developing indoor vertical farms. Several companies have refurbished shipping containers into vertical farms integrated with drip irrigation systems, LED lights, and vertically stacked shelves to grow various plants. These containers are integrated with a growth management system that monitors and controls all systems remotely using a computer or smartphone. This is projected to bode well for segmental growth in the coming years.

By Component Analysis

Climate Control Capabilities of LED Lightening Systems to Fuel Demand for Lightening Systems

Based on the component, the market is categorized into the lighting system, irrigation and fertigation system, climate control, sensors, and others.

The lighting systems are expected to showcase significant growth in the coming years. The demand for LED lighting systems to reduce operational costs and minimize power consumption is increasing across vertical farms. LED lighting systems generate low heat than conventional light resources, making LED lighting ideal for vertical farms.

The shift in consumer demand for unseasonal food drives the demand for climate control components across vertical farms. Climate control components help to monitor the climate and control lights and humidity. The advanced climate control systems can be managed from mobile or computer, which is expected to drive the growth of the hydroponics components.

The sensors gain traction owing to the increased adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and big data analytics across vertical farms. Big data analytics helps to understand and monitor crop health through sensor data.

Irrigation & fertigation systems enable comprehensive monitoring and provide the same ecosystem to the crops as the external environment and condition, which is expected to fuel the segment growth steadily.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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By region, the market has been analyzed across five major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South America.

North America holds the largest vertical farming market share owing to the presence of many vertical farms across the U.S. and the adoption of robotics and automation technologies across the farms. The rising demand for organic, fresh, and rich-quality food fuels the development of vertical farms in the U.S. and Canada.

Further, the usage of cannabis is legalized in the U.S. and Canada. The vertical farms are suitable for growing cannabis, which is expected to fuel the vertical farming market growth.

Europe is anticipated to showcase significant growth in the coming years. European Countries such as the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Benelux, and Nordics are projected to drive the development of vertical farms. The growing investment by agri-tech startups to expand the products and business presence worldwide. For instance, in December 2021, Germany-based vertical farming startup, Infarm, raised USD 200 million to accelerate the products and business expansion. The company leverages cloud technology to manage the cultivation of plants near to consumers to minimize the environmental impact. The rising investment by the market players boosts the market growth across the region.

The Asia Pacific is likely to showcase remarkable growth during the projected period. The rise in the decline of arable land for agriculture in countries including China, India, and some Asian countries is anticipated to boost the demand for this innovative farming system. The water scarcity and increased food demand for the vast population of India, China, and Japan are expected to create new market opportunities across the region.

The farmers have faced a lack of rain, drought, climate change, insufficient irrigation systems, financial challenges, crop failure, increased dependency on chemical fertilizers, and limited crop varieties for years across Asia. This is expected to foster the need for innovative farming techniques in the coming years. For instance, in January 2022, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India inaugurated India's biggest vertical farm project. The project aims to offer the benefits of soil-based vertical farms to Indian farmers. These factors drive the market towards a growth trajectory.

The Middle East and Africa exhibit remarkable growth of the market during the forecast period due to less arable land availability and rising water scarcity. The growing food and agri-tech initiatives across the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and other countries drive market growth.

Further, the growing research and development activities by prominent market players boost the development of vertical farms across the region. For instance, in July 2021, Aerofarms started constructing the United Arab Emirates-based subsidiary “AeroFarms AgX LTD” on research and development in Abu Dhabi. The new center focuses on developments in a controlled environment and indoor vertical agriculture farming. This is driving the region's adoption of innovative and advanced farming solutions.

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South America is expected to grow at a moderate rate. There is a huge loss of fruits and vegetables produced using traditional farming in Mexico during transportation, storage, and processing. The implementation of vertical farms will help address the challenges faced by Mexican farmers. Similarly, vertical farms to gain traction during the forecast period to reduce the usage of pesticides and chemicals and improve food security across Brazil, Argentina, and other South American countries.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Key Players Are Highly Investing in Building New Farms Globally

The prominent players in the market, such as Signify, Freight Farm, AeroFarms, BrightFarms, Heliospectra AB, and Illumitex Inc., are focusing on business expansion through strategic partnerships and collaboration with other organizations. These players are investing in globalizing the vertical farming concept by building new farms across countries. The prominent players are also investing in research and development to reduce the additional charges of the system. 

January 2022 – Plenty Unlimited Inc. secured USD 400 million in a Series E funding round. The funding will support Plenty’s growth, including the proliferation of technology platforms to directly sell crop farms to partners.

List of the Key Companies Profiled:

• AeroFarms (U.S.)


• OSRAM Licht AG (Germany)


• Urban Crop Solutions (Europe)


• Heliospectra AB (Sweden)


• Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd. (Taiwan)


• Signify Holding (Netherlands)


• Sky Greens (Singapore)


• BrightFarms. (U.S.)


• Plenty Unlimited Inc. (U.S.)


• Freight Farms, Inc. (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• March 2023 – UP Vertical Farms developed unique solutions to the challenges handled by traditional farming methods. The company launched a high-density contactless vertical farm to be the most sustainable vertical farm by 2023. The solution enables significantly faster production, higher yields, and better quality control with minimal environmental impact. 


• October 2022 – AeroFarms decided to expand nationally from the Northeast region to all-natural food markets after noticing an increased demand for specialty vegetables. AeroFarms becomes the first indoor farming company to join the Whole Foods Market Global Planogram. 


• October 2022 – Singapore-based agtech company Singrow launched Bloom, a consumer concept brand, with plans to expand in Asia and beyond. The company plans to expand its firm partner presence beyond China, Singapore, and Indonesia to Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and the Middle East. 


• December 2021 - Dream Harvest Farming Company, a Houston-based vertical farming company, secured USD 50 million in funding from Orion Energy Partners. Through this funding, the company aims to scale up production and construct a 100,000 sq. ft indoor vertical farming facility. Further, the company aims to scale its operations and serve additional retailers.


• October 2020 – BrightFarms secured USD 100 million to expand its indoor farming. The funding round was led by Cox Enterprises. The company aims to leverage this funding to invest in its existing and retail farms. Further, the company aims to expand its presence across the U.S. 

REPORT COVERAGE

An Infographic Representation of Vertical Farming Market

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The market research report highlights leading regions worldwide to offer a better understanding to the user. Furthermore, the market report provides insights into the vertical farming market outlook with the latest industry growth trends and analyzes technologies deployed at a rapid pace at the global level. It further offers some drivers and restraints, helping the reader gain in-depth knowledge about the market.

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